Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor

VMP

Not a genre I'd normally choose to listen to which is why this project is so fun. Reminds me a lot of Kanye West and NEPTUNES, which after reading a bit further about Lupe Fiasco shouldn't be a surprise. Thr quality of production is immense and album is consistent throughout. I would give it 5 stars if it wasn't for the incredibly annoying and repetitive 'outro', which seems out of keeping with the rest of the album.

In our last two weeks of the 1001 I was not looking forward to another hip hop album but was pleasantly surprised by this one. The subject matters are reminiscent of a Tracy Chapman album and the beats are well put together and well produced.

A real find. Like this a lot.

After listening to Food and Liquor, I can say its a really good album, Every song had its own distinction while sounding like they fit well together, the songs themselves sounded really good (probably because one of my favorite musicians helped produce this album (Mike Shinoda)). The lyrics were really good and the rapping was also great, as were the instrumentals. This is definitely the best hip hop album I have done on this project so far. Best Song: I Gotcha Worst Song: Intro

Serious Kanye vibes on this album. It's a good album that I really enjoyed, but it's nothing groundbreaking.

The reasons why I like this record are the same as why I liked Kanye's first 2 albums. They're very similar styles, and of course production work is done by Jay-Z and Kanye. Not just the way that the samples are intricately transformed into something so complex, but the mixture between the back-and-forth singing and rapping. Many songs feel complete and satisfying, with infectious hooks at the start to pull in the audience, followed by straight-to-the-point personal raps, a catchy chorus to tie everything together, ending with an introspective melodic closer to move onto the next track. Every song is built around strong manipulation of samples to make each one unique. But often that's the only good quality of the track. Several tracks like "The Emperor's Soundtrack" has the song structure I outlined above, and great production work, but little else to pull me in, so it ends up being fairly forgettable. "Just Might Be OK" is another example, but hides behind more experimental production and loud, catchy harmonic vocals, guising it an ok song that serves to intrigue the audience for what the rest of the album will be like. Over half the songs are pretty solid and kept my engagement for most of the record, only losing it after "Hurt Me Soul." There's a few points where it tries too hard to mimic Kanye's success, including the pointless 12 minute closer where he's just thanking people. Cutting that one and a few other tracks, and building upon potential deep cuts that go beyond Kanye's inspiration, it could stand out as one the finest pop rap albums of the decade.

Fun and thoughtful, especially in the environment it came out in. Not perfect by any means, but definitely solid and respectable.

Now this right here was an album that I think was overall pretty quality. And I was especially grateful to Lupe for thanking me personally at timestamp 11:22 in the outro. Shoutouts to you Lupe.

7/10. I thought this was pretty good. The outro was quite excessive, but I can't blame the artist for that because it's not like anyone is forced to listen all the way through it

Good album but imagine if you thought you were friends with Lupe Fiasco and he left you out of the 12 minute shout out outro. That would be devastating. 8/10

I have never in my life put on a Lupe Fiasco track or album. The thought has just never occurred to me. So how come I instantly recognize about half of the songs on this??? It's impressive, because I don't really care for his voice or flow, and the lyrics are often hit or miss (rhyming abortion with deportion…). But that goddamn production is just superb, especially the drums and percussion. The samples fit together seemlessly and add a whole new level to the music with influences from Latin to prog. Impressive. So I guess I really dig this one - in spite of Lupe Fiasco.

I’ve spent years underestimating Lupe Fiasco. His music is so much more conscious and clever than the floating Nintendo DS on the album cover leads one to believe. The lyrics are strong, the beats fresh and Fiasco himself delivers some great bars even when the hooks occasionally leave something to be desired.

Warrants the rating just from Kick, Push imo, love that song. The rest is pretty good too. Shame that Kanye tainted it with his future (ie, present) Nazism, but I highly doubt Lupe saw that one coming.

Hip-hop político. Un 4.

Very good Hip Hop album.

Still an great album, the vibe hasn't changed since it came out

Upbeat, breezy and fun, but still socially conscious. I particularly liked the orchestral (synth) instrumentation. One of the most enjoyable hip hop albums I've listened to. Yet another sample or interpolation of 'Daydream In Blue". Rating: 3.5/5 Playlist track: Daydreamin' Date listened: 01/11/23

Excellent. Really enjoyed the entire thing.

4.3

Actually incredible album favorite was kick push 1 and 2

Nice, good songs. Bad outro.

Very solid hip hop album. I'm surprised I haven't really heard of the artist before

Really great. Surprisingly good for something from 2006

Dansons sur la tombe du gangsta rap

I was not aware of Lupe Fiasco, and this album is entirely fresh stuff for me. I was initially surprised by the heavy partners they have for his first issue, and the songs were unknown to me. I was truly surprised by the quality of this album. If I got it correctly, reading Wikipedia and some news about Lupe, he is involved with some very problematic opinions, which is sad since his work is excellent even in this debut album. The production is perfect (the Jay-Z and Kanye names in the credits indicate the reason, of course), and the lyrics and voice work. Excellent sample selection and the amazing job that, unfortunately, is now marked forever by Lupe public person. I'm happy to see this album on the 1001 list, and I think that is the first post-90 hip-hop album that really catches up with me.

I like Lupe Fiasco. He brought something fresh and enjoyable to hip hop, avoiding the trap of rapping about b*tches and bulls*it, although failing to avoid the hip hop trap of an overlong album stuffed with filler. But Lupe has a nice flow and feels an heir to De La Soul, Talib Kwali and Mos Def.

first listen super solid record

Very chill hip hop album. Had listened to this before back when it came out and wasn't a huge fan. Not that it's bad, just didn't connect with it. Listening again now gave me some added appreciation. Kick/Push is a classic we used to warm up to in theater class in high school. I did dig the long outro too, very cool he did one of those.

Whoa, wasn't expecting to see Lupe on here. Lupe Fiasco is a really talented rapper, frequently underrated and left out of conversations that he should be in. I'm not sure what it is, he's a great lyricist and makes great albums, but something holds him back from being widely considered one of the greats (though many do put him up there). This album has "Kick, Push," which was my first exposure to him back in middle school or something. A cool skater anthem, that I'm not even sure is about skating. Regardless, great album. Lots to enjoy here. Favorite tracks: Kick Push, Sunshine, Pressure, The Cool, The Instrumental, Hurt Me Soul. Album art: Pretty cool but also pretty weird. Lupe floating in space, surrounded by technology and the trappings of consumerism? Very of the era if you ask me, so not exactly timeless but it's a cool image. 4/5

Riding the line between a 3 and a 4. It’s just all a bit too epic and cinematic for me, ChiTown/post Kanye production I guess. The lyrics and flow are cool, always loved Kick Push (as a skater). And I feel the core concept is a bit daft - like, there’s bad food and and Liquor is pretty great some times?

There's a lot to like here, production wise, lyrically, musically and of course a great band name. Reckon this will get a few summer plays, it's a keeper.

-Didn’t write a BL- AL: Food & Liquor is a compelling socially conscious rap album from a creative and lyrical MC. Highly recommend a listen for any fans of golden era lyrical and socially conscious hip hop. FT: “Kick, Push” 4/5

Very very good but the sounds were just too much at times? Not sure how to describe it. Just a lot of orchestral at once

Somehow I actually knew some of these songs. Overall it was a pretty good experience, it didn't blow me away. 3 seems to low. 4 seems too high but 3.5 ain't an option l.

Really solid.

Decent. Kick / Push is a tune

Wow. Knew absolutely nothing about LF before I began listening. This isn't what I was expecting and was pleasantly surprised. First of all, LF is not a femme. Currently working on a second listen to pickup some of the hidden gems. Has plenty of energy, it's musically diverse and captured my attention all the way through.

This is a refreshing hip hop album. On first listen, I thought he was rapping about b*tches and h*es like many other “gangstas.” But of course when listening closer the second time, Lupe is rapping counter to that sector of hip hop. The drama is palpable when strings are present. My favorite song is Daydreamin’. It turns out Lupe was forced to put it on the album by a record company exec. He won a Grammy for it, but receives no royalties.

According to my stats I listened to this 3 times in 2011 and never since. I'm guessing there's gonna be a heap more hip hop in this generator, hope more of it is like this

Of its age... essentially has 2 intros, the terrible outro, attempts to sing without a singing voice (-1*). Also, luxurious beats, really lovely production, decent lyrics, a few real bangers (kick push 1 and 2, daydreamin', etc).

Still sounds as new and revolutionary as it did back then. Top class lyricism, flow, storytelling, impeccable production and guest musicians.

Very good

Didn't expect to enjoy this but I was pleasantly surprised

Enjoyed this more than I expected to

Pretty good album. A few really good tracks, and none that are awful.

This kind of lush hip hop with fast paced and intricate lyrics is a side of the genre I hadn't gotten into much. It's very good, and interesting.

Heck of a debut - great songs, fresh perspective, big time collaborators. Too long though.

I must admit, I missed this one when it came out, as I was losing touch with hip hop at the time, but that was a mistake. I rather enjoyed this. That outro was kind of ridiculous though. Guess you can't say he isn't grateful. Fave track: "Pressure" w/ Jay Z Skips: "The Instrumental" w/ Jonah Matranga

Also this one was removed from the latest editions of the book. 3.5/5

This is actually a cohesive album. The first two tracks are relatively unnecessary, but it's not bad.

epico

Whoa. I was not in the mood for a generic hip hop album today - and so I braced myself when the first tracks hit - but when ‘Kick, Push’ came up not only did I realise I was not listening to your average ‘guns, cars and ho’s’ hip hop album but a true delight of a record. The Jay-Z sound puts it squarely in a good mood place and every track is impeccably produced - and Lupe rhymes with gusto and panache from start the finish - loved this one and what a pleasant surprise. And can’t commend enough a hip hop track that rallies against misogyny in the genre.

"Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor" is the debut album by American rapper Lupe Fiasco. No less than eleven people produce including Jay-Z, Prolific, Soundtrack and The Neptunes. Categorized as hop hop and conscious hip hip, lyrics deal with poverty, Islam, terrorism, poverty and individuality. This is all done in an uplifting way. The album received four Grammy nominations winning one in Best Urban/Alternative Performance for "Daydreamin'." "Intro" starts in spoken word as Lupe's sister, I believe, describes the food (good) & liquor (bad) stores in Chicago. God. Islam. Strings goes to a beat. The second song "Real" adds backing vocals by Sarah Green as Lupe describes making music he doesn't have to be ashamed of. A nice sample of Harvey Mason's 1981 "How Does It Feel." Speaking of samples. The first single "Kick, Push" opens with a "Bolero Melody" sample by Celeste Legaspi. Heavy strings. Lupe's love for skateboarding and, in general, being criticized for doing what he loves. "Kick-Push-Kick-Coast." The second single "I Gotcha" has some great peppy piano, synth and production by The Neptunes. Describing himself and his rap style...Lupe's got cha. "Daydreamin" samples a cover "Daydream in Blue" by I Monster. A middle-eastern beat. Soulful. An adventure though the eye of a robot critiquing hip hop. An original, busy song. The originality continues in "American Terrorist." Jazzy. More Middle Eastern music. Matthew Santos guests and there's a Latin flair. Misconceptions of Islam in America and racism and gang culture. Lupe covers a lot of topics and it's done in more of a poppy and life affirming way. I think the use of strings and production give it that feel. Nice use of backing vocals and guests. Solid rapping. Definitely worth a listen.

The deluxe version of this thing came out as a fifth anniversary edition, telling you all you need to know about the suspension of disbelief necessary. Lupe earns it fairly, backed up by a stupendous producing cast, covering all sorts of ground with a voice that remains unique. Plenty is immediately moving, but the vision is always broader than that, always pushing what could possibly fit on an LP. The outro is particularly bizarre formally, but always brackets the listen well.

This one was an interesting one. It was pretty long, but I didn't really begin to feel that until the last couple songs, mainly the outro. I liked the beats more than I expected to and I quite liked the flow. The songs had interesting ideas that made me like the album more than a usual rap album. The outro was, while long, a cool idea and funny at times as well. It was basically movie credits, but for an album. I'd say it's a light four, but that's pretty good considering I don't really like rap. My favourite songs were American Terrorist and Kick, Push.

classic Lupe album.

Amaze.

Good stuff!

4.0

Een van de betere hiphop albums. Ik deel de mening over veel vulgaire teksten en vrouw onvriendelijkheid ook wel

Kick push is a much better song than I remember when it first came out and I didn’t like it. The production on this album has all the hallmarks of this era but I don’t know if this was early or just done really well, but the sampling meets maximalist orchestral stuff was done well. I just don’t really get down with the lyrics meaning much or the concept overall.

Daydream is so gas

Wow, that ultra high sheen orchestral soul hip-hop production really places this squarely in 2006 eh? Was a fan of Kick Push from back then but hadn’t listened to the rest. I think his bars are wicked, and are done dirty by the cheese of the production, would be keen to hear other stuff of his with a different sound

The thinking man's rapper, he actually ended up lecturing at MIT!

The conscious hip hop lyrics flew past me. And that 12 minute outro wasn't too bad, it reminds me of RAYE crediting those who helped make her album. If we took all that out, this album sits perfectly within its time as one of many Kanye-adjacent hip hop albums.

Ye brought Lupe to my attention back on Late Registration, and I can now see his influence on touch the sky. The whole album has a very touch the sky feel to it, along with a turn of the century hip-hop vibe. His storytelling on tracks like kick, push, alongside mid 00s soul sampled production from Kanye and The Neptunes, gives it a distinct socially conscious edge. Overall, it’s an okay album, but there's nothing really special about it. I can see why Lupe isn’t an artist we hear much from nowadays, as he seems pretty much dime a dozen. 6/10

Managed to get my toe tapping at times. Second listen not quite as enjoyable as the first

I liked 'Kick Push (I & II)', 'He Say She Say' and 'Hurt Me Soul'.Didn't love all the tracks but as a whole this was pretty solid.

No matter the message (good or bad) I just don’t enjoy rap or hip hop very much. The same here - I can hear that it’s quality, but it’s just not for me

First hip-hop album on my journey! Lupe Fiasco’s Food & Liquor is my first album into his discography. It a very long album, clocking at 1h12, and I think it’s one of its flaws. Maybe some song are fillers, or it doesn’t need an intro and an outro, to cut some minutes. Overall, that’s a good listen. Sometimes his flows looks like Logic (even his beats). I didn’t have a wow moment, but that doesn’t mean the album is bad. 3/5. Some songs will be in my rotation. Intro: 3 Real: 2 Just Might Be Ok: 3,5 Kick, Push: 5 I Gotcha: 4 The Instrumental: 3,5 He Say She Say: 4 Sunshine: 3,5 Daydreaming’: 5 The Cool: 2,5 Hurt Me Soul: 2,5 Pressure: 3 American Terrorist: 2,5 The Emperor’s Soundtrack: 2,5 Kick Push II: 3 Outro: 2

Fun. Pop rap with an old school feel. Solid lyricist - especially for a first LP. 3.

Det är eb tajt produktion. Daydreaming har jag sen länge på egen lista. Den är rätt najs, inte en femma och det saknas i övrigt ett par riktiga bangers för att ens nå en fyra. Helheten är småputtrande ok.

Muy divertido. Muy diferente a lo que esperaba. Rap y ritmos con guitarras, nice.

At times this album was really enjoyable, and even at it's lowest moments there was usually something good to be found in the songs. Overall a pretty good hip hop album, though one that probably doesn't warrant a place on this list.

Not bad by any means, but thought it sounded a bit overproduced and is far from the best hip-hop album on list.

too long, wasn't needed

Loses a full star for the outro. Gains it back for all the Chicago shoutouts. Otherwise pretty unmemorable

I have heard songs from Lupe Fiasco here and there over the years and some were good while others were just meh or outright terrible. I would say this entire album lies right in the middle as well. Nothing great to write home about for sure. At times, there were good beats and flows in teh lyrics but overall this album was pedestrian. I am being generous and giving it three stars as that would make it 6/10 and really it was only about a 4 or 5/10.

I liked the music and the positive, respectful spirit of the lyrics, though the album's so wholesome and socially conscious it actually gets a bit cloying. I was constantly thinking, "This is nice!" "Wait, this is music for wimps, isn't it?" "Ah, shit, maybe I'm a wimp..." There's just no rough edges at all – it's a little too smooth and shiny. I enjoyed it on the whole, but it could stand to lose a handful of tracks. Outro is an egregious way to end.

Yes! Lupe! I’ve been meaning to give him some time and now I see why. Lyrically brilliant and such a lovely flow too.

Kanye without all of the turmoil in his life

Didn't mind it, didn't love it. Some great songs on here though

Starts super strong and upbeat while some of the energy fades towards the end. Overall a nice find.

3,5

Great production

I really liked this one and it came pretty close to getting 4 stars. Right away I was getting a Jay-Z feel from it, and overall it reminded me quite a bit of Talib Kweli’s *Quality*, which is definitely a compliment. It has that polished early-2000s conscious hip-hop sound that I tend to enjoy, with good production and enough going on musically to keep me interested. A few songs in, it did start to feel a little samey, but thankfully the album eventually broke away from that enough to keep things moving. I listened to most of it during a long drive, and it was a great album for that—it kept me engaged without ever becoming something I wanted to turn off. There weren’t a ton of individual songs that immediately jumped out at me, which is probably what keeps it just below 4 stars, but “The Instrumental” was definitely a standout. Finding out afterward that Mike Shinoda produced that track makes a lot of sense. Overall, a really solid hip-hop album and one I’d definitely listen to again. **A strong 3 stars that came very close to 4.**

sturdy, handsomely produced, ambitious stuff that only occasionally rises to its own expectations. a few standouts , a few tracks that come off corny/boring, a lot in between

6/10

I thought the concept and execution of this record was great. When I hear Lupe rap, his cadence and timbre reminds me a lot of Kanye. So I wasn't surprised to discover that Kanye is a producer here, and was loudly singing (or rapping 🫠) his praises in public. Jay Z got in on it too, and in no time the media was hailing Lupe as "the saviour of hip-hop". I'm still quite a newbie when it comes to 21st century hip-hop, which is why I compare everything to Kanye, who was my introduction. So, it's still not a genre that I'd actively seek out as regularly as others. When I hear new hip-hop on this project, I'm usually most excited by artists from that "golden age", mid-80s to early-90s, and their sample-heavy, collage-like production style, bringing inventive reworking of old funk, rock and soul tubes into something new. Lupe does bring some of that aspect to "Food & Liquor". The production is built around lush, often orchestral soul and jazz samples. Rather than the cut-and-paste collage of samples, scratches and breaks of the hip-hop I'm used to, Lupe often takes one simple source, such as strings, a soul passage, or a jazz piano loop, and builds a polished new track around it. I particularly liked "Kick, Push", "Sunshine" and "Daydreamin'", the latter being YET ANOTHER take on I Monster's classic piece. And I was fully perplexed by the 12 minute "Outro", which was essentially a "roll credits" moment, where Lupe thanked everyone who helped on the album from Jay Z to secretaries, interns and even websites that helped promote him. It's not what you'd expect in the usual bravado "I'm the best" world of hip-hop, so it's refreshing (if a bit of an endurance test to get through all the names). And I think that's what I liked about Lupe the most. In "Hurt Me Soul", he straight out says that he didn't like hip-hop because of how it degraded women, but fully addresses his hypocrisy in still enjoying listening to the likes of Too $hort despite of it. That introspective self-aware nature is exactly what I love the most about 21st century hip-hop. A good discovery to add to my education around the genre. And it's album number 300 for me, so I'm looking forward to seeing what new perspectives the next 789 albums have in store for me.

Pretty generic beats, but I'm not its intended audience. Wasn't bad, but it wasn't great either. There is a very niche type of hip hop I absolutely love. This is not it.

I enjoyed this one, I'd only heard Kick, Push prior. I found the social storytelling engaging. It felt more like a personal perspective then some of the posturing style lyrics we've heard in other hiphop. Not one that I'd probably listen to again, but I found interesting and I'm glad I heard it.

I remember this being hot when it came out. I remember trying it and being underwhelmed in 2006. Twenty years later I was still unimpressed. The track I was into was "The Instrumental" which still holds up pretty well. Honestly, if it was that great you'd still hear it on the radio and he would have gone on to have a career, but neither of those materialized. I researched it a bit, he's still making music today and has some decent listener counts. I may be wrong but I hear Kanye in the way he raps and his delivery (he actually calls him out in "Outro"). Both came out about the same time. The big "hit" on here is "Kick, Push", never heard it and didn't like it one bit. "Daydreamin' had its moments even if Jill Scott oversings her part. Repetition kills rap songs for me, just beating one word to absolute death or just rhyming over an incessant beat that never varies. That's what I got from this album. Top 1001? Nah, nope! Just not my thing I guess. 3 stars for being vanilla.

so this is ok. but just ok. 3/5 u need to go to a music festival today i have things to do dont waste my time.

Some good songs, but too long and I don't like many of the beats/production. Only song I really like I Gotcha.

A very 2000's looking cover, with a very 2000's feel. But it's fun and if it wasn't for that horrible daydream cover or the seemingly endless outro it might have gotten a four.

++: Just Might Be OK, Kick, Push, He Say She Say, Sunshine, Daydreamin', The Cool, American Terrorist, The Emperor's Soundtrack +: Intro, Real, I Gotcha, The Instrumental, Hurt Me Soul, Kick, Push II +-: Pressure --: Outro 7,7/10

Daydreeamin' and a couple of other tracks rang bells

Might be my favourite of the hip hop albums on this list so far. I like his rapping style, it’s far easier going than the gangsta rubbish on here. The album is really varied in style throughout, helped by numerous samples obviously, but this does keep the album engaging to listen to.

Þetta er hár þristur. Ágætlega fín plata. 12 mínútna outroið hefði samt mátt missa sín

I hadn't heard this album before. Aside from the 12-minute outro, it's nice to listen to, though the big, polished production feels a little outdated.

Probably will not re-listen, but Lupe's delivery and energy were great.

Smooth and fun. But far too long. A 12-minute outro?!

12 min???

Might have been quicker if he just listed the people he wasn't giving a shout out to...

1 Intro (Ft. Ayesha Jaco) Epic Intro 2 Real (Ft. Sarah Green) The game 3 Just Might Be OK (Ft. GemStones) Bisschen viel los (Hubschrauber?) 4 Kick, Push Skaterboi – ist ein Vine 5 I Gotcha 6 The Instrumental (Ft. Jonah Matranga) 7 He Say She Say (Ft. GemStones & Sarah Green) Daddy Issues 8 Sunshine Cute 9 Daydreamin' (Ft. Jill Scott) Ohhh den kennt man, find ich sehr nice 10 The Cool 11 Hurt Me Soul 12 Pressure (Ft. JAŸ-Z) 13 American Terrorist (Ft. Matthew Santos) Politisch korrekt (von dem was ich verstanden habe) 14 The Emperor's Soundtrack 15 Kick, Push II Skatergirl 16 Outro Shoutout zu der ganzen Welt für 12 min (Doppelt Shoutout an Gorillaz) Allgemein nicht schlecht, kann mir vorstellen ein paar Songs davon ab und zu mal anzuhören. Aber ist größtenteils nicht ganz so meins.

Not my kind of thing but had a listen. Was ok to be fair.

An album that really sounds of it's time, which isn't a bad thing. Daydreamin' was a highlight. 3.4/5.

The thinking man's rapper, part of that mid 2000s post Kanye stuff. He's quite good, and the album is easy to listen to without being overbearing or boring. Perhaps just a bit overlong.

I was never that into kick push but there were other songs on here that I liked, the one with Jill Scott and hurt me soul.

Some big well done production songs. Good performances from featured artists. Super has some nice styling but some of his lyrics are rhymey dimey.

Fiasco's rapping is a little rough around the edges, but his lyricism and rhymes more than make up for it. The production is complex, and more importantly it feels very intentional. I can feel that Fiasco had a clear vision when making this album. However, he might've done too much. By the time I got to the end of this album, I was pretty much burnt out on it.

Uh 1st & (1st &) 15th (15th) Woah, uh Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor Is lovingly, hand-crafted and done By the good folks, at 1st & 15th, yeah Much love to the F&F crew Bryce, (yeah) Gemini, Shayla G Pro, Soundtrakk, Jason Salvador Simon, Bishop G, Bran Dog G-ball, G-Ball, yeah All the engineers, Chilly Chill, mixers Esco, much love goes out, to Rita Lee The Buchanans, Suzis 'N Uzi Everybody that, helped this project from day one Can't forget, Bolo, Footloose You know, the incomparable DJ G.I Kim Lumpkin, Bizzy, Spores (you heard) Marcus, Mr. Mark Pitts, L.A. Reid Drew, Tyvee, Success, the whole FTK You know, Mr. Mike Love, Bulumaster, what up Can't forget, Veedaugh, DJ Pharus, Coops, DJ Timbuktu K-scratch, The Base Man, Boogie Boy DJ Semtex, 279, Dr. Wax, Jason Eavre, HMV, Envy What up, Envy? Get Real, Flex, Funk Master, Flex, yeah (Violet) Can't forget E-Nyce, (Eric Lowe), the entire Bum Squad DJ family Shout to Loud Prince, Crystal Bubblin', (Paul Wall) All of the heavy hitters, (Trey Songz), all of the Murda Mamis Can't forget Kay Slay, Cipha Sounds, Amanda Diva, (Sirius Radio) DJ Chop, (Enough), DJ Hyphen, Greg Street, you know I'm talkin' 'bout? All the radio stations around the world that hold me down (Music Choice) Can't forget 'em all, E-bro, WGCI, Pie 92, Hot 97, Choice FM, BBC One Extra All the pirate stations, can't forget Tim Westwood, all the music video channels (Gomez Warez), Tiffany Green, (MTV), Elroy Smith, (BET), Bam (and VH1) Can't forget my big homie, Sean Deah (Hawaii Mike) What up, baby? There from day one Can't forget K.T., Alazay, the whole Raw Dough Brackets (Mr. Perry), The Pack, even though we no more Mr. Star, much love to Navi, Butcher, D-Lo, (Miss Cole) Butcher source of Quran right now, it's all good, much love to ya All my teachers (ya heard), Mr. K All of the artists my fellow artist in the game that hold me down and help me out Talib Kweli, (Mike Sanders), The Roots shout to Black Thought, Mos Def Can't forget, (Consequence), just (Rhymefest) Everybody, Three Six Mafia man Sway Decipher The whole Star Track, (Rakim), Pusha T, Clipse, Push Konflict Slim Thugger, Twista, (Ab-Liva), Psychodrama, Shawnna, GLC, Really Doe The whole GOOD Music, Ibin Don, C. John, Monopoly Mr. Kanye West, you know Can't forget, Stack Bundlez, what up b? Uh, Poo Bear Everybody showin' me love my whole Fort Minor family Styles of Beyond, Kenna, Apathy, Candy Pop Shout to the whole Demigods Can't forget Craig G, who wants me to wear the crown but I tell him I can't The Gorillaz shout to the Gorillaz, ya heard, uh Shout out to The Desk, all the radio personalities, you know I'm sayin' where I'm from (Scars) Chi-town (ya heard), Chicago Uh huh (Man) Shout to Bionce Foxx, Kid Robot, shout out to Roxy, (Tre), shout to Miss Jones Too Hot 97 (Choco Joc), everybody gave me looks, shout out to all the magazines showin' me love, holdin' me down (Nakid) Especially The Fader, gave my first cover, (Samsil), shout to Billboard, gave me the cover (Crazy Howard McGee), shout to Vibe, Source, XXL, shout to Kicks Exclusive, got a cover Shout to GQ, (Cash Carter), you know Rolling Stone, shout to all the internet sites OkayPlayer All Hip-Hop, School of Hip-Hop.Com, (MySpace), you know, showin' me love, , why not, a thank you All my fans Shout to Hypebeast.Com, shout to Kevin Mar, I love my fans Shout to all my Streetware family all my skater dark heads out there Shout to Slam Excite, (Tony Hole), shout to Hustlin' Body.Com, Freshness Mag.Com, (DGK) Shout to all the stores that around the world that are holdin' me down (Steve Williams) Maharishi, DPMHI Shout to Harley Bleckmen, Damien, and my big brother Nash Money Dollars Alex, shout out to mag the over Slammin' Kicks, Dough Street, Ben Jury Shout out to Lamessie and Amanda, from LMAC Down in Singapore, (Voss), yeah, my lil' brother Dano, Dano West, As-salamu alaykum (Street Connoiseur) Shout to my big brother Ian, stayin' out for Kicks Hawaii Crew (Crabby, Henry), Aloha Huh Aubrass, shout to Ricky Kim, shout to Chuck Anderson (Ken, The Riot), thebillions.Com Shout to Vergil, (Jackson Hennessey), shout to Benjamin, shout to the whole crew (Righteous) (Kung-fu), shout to the JB Classics, you know, shout to my big homie Rob Hebler Weeklydrop.com, (Hot Dogg), Shout to my man Chris Gibbs over at Union Big shout out to Edison Shay and the Chopstick MC, the whole Kli family, yeah F&F Hong Kong, what up You know, it's mad long, right? (Henry Lovell), shout to Keep Up Neighbour, San Francisco (Nathan), shout to my homie Julian out in Paris, (Cabrerra) Holdin' me and my man Jason down, much love Shout to Miami Girl, L.A. Barracuda, shout to Dave Ortiz, Dave's quality Meats You know how the long two way fashion thing, shout to my man Rolf from Artful Dodger Matt Anger, of Reebok, shout to the whole Reebok staff holdin' me down You know I'm sayin', Q Gaskins, Q, it's "Food & Liquor" time baby Shout to Matt Inc., Shout to Wendy, shout to Liz Cardozo, all my family up at Reebok, (Pam's Am) (Dc Shoes), it's all forgiven, ya heard (Shout to Kevin Hana), shout to every club promoter, every show promoter, out there Shout to my big homie Neil, much love to you homie thank you (Christopher Adams) Much obliged, much appreciated, shout to Mark Sheeder, Kevin Black, shout out to Kevin Black Just make sure you get yours man, I'm aware Shout to the entire Atlantic Records staff, Greg Helman, Julia Greenwald (Warren Geese), Emmanuel, Keyzer, James Lopez, (Doug Horn), Sylvia, (Diane) The lovely, talented Veronica Alvarici (Latrice), the lovely and talented Camille Hackney, Cindy Marcuson, (Brian Singjon), (Jules) Katherine I can't forget you (All of the secretaries and), LaToya Sterling (and assistants and the interns) Andrew, you know I'm sayin' (Noah) Shout to Tamara (Scott), shout to Ayesha, (Crespo), aight John McMahon, (nice) When I strut through the building, they show me love, they be like "Watch out Lupe comin' through" (Damon, Cookie), The Nasty Boys, shout to the whole Warner Music Group Leor Cohen, (Mel) and Mr. Kevin Lyles (Rick Betterman, Marcus Youst) Thank you for comin' out man (Darrell Thomas) It was appreciated far beyond you'll ever believe, you know what I'm talkin' about (Scott Francis) Shout to Carlene, Marcia, the whole Def Jam staff too, it's weird cause I'm doing Def Jam shout outs But I got to because they, they, they holdin' me down (G), shout to Tata, shout to Linnie S Shout to Beehive, Samantha Hill, (Guru), it's much appreciated, believe me (Just Blaze), Sean Healey Shout to Glasses Malone, what's up (Saigon), Constantine, Big Chuck, yeah Doin' his thing right now Shout out to Karen Quark, oh man, Karen Quark, yeah, we did it baby David Enriquez, shout to T.I., whole Grand Hustle, (Taro), you know what I'm sayin', yeah Here's the whole crew everybody, from that crew that hold me down, everybody around the world That hold me down, I love you Shout to my family, my mother, my father, my sisters, my brothers, My nieces, my nephews, my aunties, uncles You know I'm sayin', I love all y'all, you know, I love all y'all I ain't gon' say no names, but I love all y'all Shout to all my homies on the block, Madison Street, whole Surrender Crew, shout to Cole Cheece (Jaguar, what up?) Shout to Aida, shout to Antoine, shout to Moon Shout to Shawn, (Tikaboo), Nick Luda Shout to everybody, shout to all y'all man, shout to Li'l Man, shout to (Miss Gartley) Dough Boy Shout to Napo The Original 1500s, (Lupe), Bishop G L-U-P-E, we still here, keep on hustlin', I guarantee, God willin' Rest in peace Randy, shout out to Shakapilva See I called you as one of the last ones (whole Chicago, Ave) But I got ya, you know, the whole Wild Moneys (Soats, Northside, Southside, Eastside, Chicago) get up outta here (Man, Westside) This has been, Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor comin' to a close, peace Next album, Lupe Fiasco's (and much love to ya) The Cool If I forgot (yessir), forgive (Astaghfirullah) I'll catch you on the next one As-salamu alaykum

Intro - na Real - 3 Just might be ok - 3 Kick, push - 4 I gotcha - 3 The instrumental - 4 He say she say - 3 Sunshine - 3 Daydreamin' - 4 The cool - 3 Hurt me soul - 3 Pressure - 3 American terrorist - 3 The emperor's soundtrack - 3 Kick, push ii - 3 Outro - 2

It surprised me how much I actually liked this one. Good melodic, hip-hop with some actual singing and not just straight rap and interesting beats and sounds.

Food & Liquor was the kind of album I assumed I wouldn’t connect with—wrong genre, wrong lane, just not my thing. Turns out I was wrong. It was more engaging than I expected, and I genuinely enjoyed the ride. Will I revisit it? Probably not. And that eleven-minute “Outro” certainly doesn’t help. After a couple of minutes of Lupe Fiasco reading through the album credits, I skipped ahead. I appreciate giving people their due, but that’s what liner notes are for. Still, as a one-time listen, I’m glad I gave it a chance.

This is Kanye West if Kanye actually made good music. That's not to say this was fantastic by any means. Rap & Hip-hop have never been my jam save for the old school 80s/90s variety, but this album had a decent flow and a good sample base that kept it from being annoying. The biggest complaint is that it's way too long. I could feel time slowing down as I listened. I swear this hour of music took 3.5 hours.

Started off with vocals incredibly similar to Kanye but this faded further in and the album grew on us. Decent stuff.

Crazy list of producers on this. Pretty good listen.

Very solid rap album w/ guest appearances, production and overall sound. Was gonna give it a four but the damn outro is so unnecessary and long it's a 3 now.

Happy to upset the purists and rank this higher than The Chronic which I had yesterday.

Some good tunes

Not my genre. Seems well produced enough. Songs feel so samey though. Does he need to announce his name every song? Are they not distinct enough on their own? Whatever/5 (2.5)

this was good! the 10 min outro song just shouting people out was a little much for me lol

Enjoyed but not his best

Not bad from Lupe but also in that weird limbo period

Pretty cool, but nothing too good. I'm glad I've been forced to try more hip-hop as I do need to get into the genre more but some of these lyrics are better than others. Favourites were by far the ones on Hurt Me Soul, but songs like Sunshine featured some real stinkers. What do you mean this guy said "Working like a... hmm... reverse archaeologist, except his buried treasure was sunshine"??? The beats are pretty good and some of the features are great, I'm just not huge into hip-hop yet and this album doesn't have as layered production as there was on GKMC and TPAB, as well as lacking as much interesting stories to tell as Kendrick in my opinion.

Little bit of a Kanye sound but Kendrick lyrics…?

good album. wasn't giving it my full attention. sorry lupe.

Good, I like self conscious rap but nothing special in the production department to warrant anything higher. Feels like so many other hip hop albums could be on here than this one. If blueprint or MBDTF or really anything early Kanye isn’t on here I’m flipping my shit

The album art might be the most 00s album I have ever seen. It really couldn’t been made at any other time. This failed to connect with me, there are however some classics on here like “Kick, Push” or “Daydream”. I think the album is just too long to make it feel consistently good. I think Lupe Fiasco’s contemporaries are a lot better than this album e.g Kanye, Schoolboy Q, Jay Z. The beats are decent and the raps are ok but the rapping never feels good enough to make me want to share this music with my friends. Still not a bad album by any stretch, some good singles with some fluff. Strong 3.

Song had a great beat but overall kinda bland after the first minute in a half.

conscious hip hop is something i can certainly appreciate listening to but with the approach i’d take to reading a legit novel or watching a good film. like, i’m not returning to this for warm fuzzies but i appreciate the artistry behind it. in this case, i even sat through the credits. anyway shout out to all the internet sites, shout out to my mom for giving me these jbl earbuds so i could listen to music, shout out to beatrice she supports me emotionally, shout out to the guy riding his bike on the sidewalk even though the street is empty, shout out to my entire printmaking class, shout out to my department, shout out to my friends for doing the 1001 album challenge (fav: american terrorist)

(68/100)

Los 2000 hecho disco. Creo que ya puse una review similar pero bue, no me dijo nada pero ta bueno

Very interesting sample and beats. Like they’re actually interesting and creative. Nicely done

Good beats, good lyrics, good delivery. Not eat coast or west coast and hallway to daisy age . Interesting rap with different influences

Great production and Lupe Fiasco is a talented writer and rapper. I wish the hooks themselves were stronger; the center of a 72 minute album cannot hold on couplet choruses alone. But man are those beats lush. This was an incredible time for Chicago-based hip-hop. (Sidebar: I miss the old Kanye, chop up the soul Kanye.)

A pretty good album soured by a 12-minute outro of meaningless shout outs. Put that in the liner notes, Lupe. 6/10

ENJOYED THIS

I truly always dismissed Lupe Fiasco on my way in hip hop. Not hard enough to shocking, not soft enough to be RnB, not goofy enough to be backpack. But its just good enough to maintain clout and radio play. But this was very well done. I will adjust my rating because I didn't empart anything greater than the surface level. I will add though that the dichotomy of Lupe's retelling of autobiographical events in Kick Push 1 and 2 was pure art. I enjoyed that. Plus the production is great, it features prominent hip hop icons and up and coming pop stars. So yeah, I dismissed Lupe but the world saw something I didn't until now.

Overall: 3.25 (rounded to 3) Consistency: 3 Originality: 3 Enjoyment: 3.5 Virtuosity: 3.5 1. Intro - 3 2. Real - 3 3. Just Might Be OK - 4 4. Kick, Push - 3 5. The Instrumental - 3 6. He Say She Say - 3 7. Sunshine - 3 8. Daydreamin' - 3 9. The Cool - 3 10. Hurt Me Soul - 3 11. Pressure - 3 12. American Terrorist - 3 13. The Emperor's Soundtrack - 3 14. Kick, Push II - 3 15. Outro - 2

I woke up sick this morning, so there's a chance that I'm a bit unfair to this album. Overall, it's an enjoyable ride, but I expected more. While there are a couple of truly phenomenal tracks, I found the rest slightly underwhelming, mostly because of the beats. Most of them just didn't click with me at all, and it's a shame, since this is a top notch album when you focus on the lyrics. The middle is probably the strongest part of the album, it's where it really starts to get in a groove that I was expecting. Outro is a baffling way to end the album, though, just unnecessary bloat. I'll give it another listen soon, though, I think that would be fair given the circumstances right now. Favourite track: Daydreamin'

this hip hop album was pleasantly nice, has so much 2000's charm. cool that i knew the hit and it's def better then when i've heard the song online. though 12 min closer ;=;

It's decent hip-hop, nothing particularly groundbreaking, but I'm glad it is more socially aware than a lot of stuff in this genre. Sounds of its time, but I could have done without the intro and 12-minute outro.

fav songs: i gotcha lyrical, ambitious, dated 50/100

7/10 Pro's: - the rawness of the songs - Big forerunner of Sample-based music, to be appreciated Cons: - sometimes bit monotonous - Big difference between heavy hitter songs and weaker songs on record

Well produced. Well performed. I enjoy listening to this album, and its got a little bit of heart. It's not quite RAW enough for my taste in hip hop.

Not my thing for sure, but interesting listen - choice of samples and overall production made for an enjoyable listen

Pretty good, I don’t think I’d listen to it again though

The outro is a bit much

New to me. I wasn't expecting the food and liquor of the title to represent a Manichaeistic worldview, so that was a surprise. After that, decent enough. Found the production a bit busy, but I'm ill today and maybe most things would sound too busy. Some tracks I really liked - Hurt Me Soul, the Kanye-ish The Emperor's Soundtrack, Kick Push II. But at least half a point docked for the Outro. 3.5*

Smart and we enjoyed the end

I can appreciate the powerful messages and cerebral lyrics and will always love that cover of "Daydreamin'" (I'm a sucker for covers of that song), I would still categorize this album as "perfectly fine."

Not bad stuff, goes on too long

Daydreamin' is incredibly smooth

This is better than most hip-hop. The lyrics are more intelligent, less gangster, uptempo and some tracks are actually songs with singing!Extensive use of samples - strings, horns. I like Kick, Push.

Great production, kind of futuristic sound for lack of better word. Possibly one of the poorest album covers ever vs the content, which on first listen has some good “alternative” song concepts Major disrespect for including a 12 minute oscar acceptance speech track when i thought i was nearly done, “Can’t forget Tim Westwood” 😳

Not bad, very listenable

IT was OK. standard hip hop

Know Lupe from a few Aesop features, never heard an album though. Can tell he's a cut above most in terms of lyrics, seems like an intelligent guy. Felt like the beats were very noughties and by and large there were pockets of good stuff but apart from kick push no obvious great tracks. Bet there's some Lupe stuff out there I'd love but I'd say this album I only liked, 3.5.

good beats

If every track were as good as “Daydreaming,” this album could easily be a 5. It’s musically unconventional, at times even a little exhausting, and the outro is both original and amusing. But unfortunately, in my opinion, it doesn’t maintain a high enough level throughout to deserve a 4. 6/10

Buen álbum, algunas bases estaban interesantes. 6/10

Hyvää räppiä. Eka biisi ihanan runollinen, tosi hyvää lausuntaa. Vika biisi on ihmeellinen. 12 minuuttia shoutouteja. Sen ansiosta 3.5/5.

This really has the feel of hip hop in 2006. Kick, Push was monumental.

It's quite alright. Flows nicely throughout. Just like with many other hip-hop albums, I'm not a big fan of long talking parts or sketches in between, or, as in this case, intros or outros.

#328/1001. A rap artist I did not know before (but the first on this list). Quite generic but quite ok.

A bit more tuneful than many in this genre but I don’t think I’ll ever get along with rap / hip hop

It was kind of refreshing to hear rap without a lot of cursing. Also, I liked the Lupe was pretty humble though out the whole album. But, rap is really not my favorite genre of music. Still, this album was okay.

5/10

Bops a plenty but there it can feel flat at times where the songs sound similar

Outro-ið var langt og leiðinlegt og þetta cover er ferlegt, en restin var fínt fyrsta tugar hip-hop.

I liked the overall sound of this album. It was a nice blend of rap, R&B, and hip-hop elements. A lot of the backing beats were really interesting and fun, and kept the album from feeling too long and repetitive. However, if we’re considering every track of the album to be an inclusive part of the listen, having a 12 minute track of thank yous at the end is awful. It almost feels like a parody by the end with how long it goes on. The more people he thanks, the less valuable each thank you feels. I appreciate the gratitude, but save it for the liner notes.

Couldn’t really get into it, but that might just be me

Kick, Push is a certified classic. I don't think the rest of the record lives up to that one, but was a good listen overall.

Jay-Z jr.? I mean, imitation is the best form of flattery. It was cool…for rap. I’ve heard a lot worse.

Pretty good.

Lupe’s lyricism is sharp and imaginative, but the album’s pacing can feel uneven. Some tracks hit hard while others drift without much impact. It’s a solid debut that shows promise more than polish.

Actually pretty fire. just not phenomenal.

Best Song: Kick, Push Do they still make Hypnotiq? They mention it in the intro and I remember it, and that baby blue bottle. As a Chiccagoan, I do appreciate the use of the term Food & Liquor, the Chicago version of a bodega. I enjoy hip hop, but I am not a hardcore hip hop head, by any means. This was ok. It had classic 2006 Kanye, Jay-Z vibes to it. However, as a middle of the road fan of the genre, it is not every day that I listen to this kind of music and if 2006 Jay-Z or Kanye vibes I'm looking for, I will listen to them and give this a pass since this doesn't really break any new ground, in my opinion. 3/5.

With no clue what I was getting into I found a lot of genuine weirdness to love on this album. At first glance the length looked egregious, but it zipped along pretty good…up until THE BAD IDEA. I cannot co-sign on THE BAD IDEA: to end the album by reading the liner notes over a mundane beat for 12 full minutes. I’m naming THE BAD IDEA the “Starshedder”. My oldest said it best: “I don’t get going through the effort of naming every single person on earth.” Word, son. Word.

Thought this was fine, but zero skateboard videos using “kick, push” is a bit of an indictment

Fun unique hip hop album - considered a 4 but as mentioned by others, that 12 min outro sucks some of the energy out of the end of this album.

top 3 - Daydreamin’, Hurt Me Soul, The Emperor’s Soundtrack. I don’t have much to say, liked how it sounds though. Would come back to certain songs rather than the full album.

I remember having a friend in high school who was really into Lupe Fiasco, but over the years I had totally forgotten who it was she was into. That kinda led me to think that this would be a more immature-sounding album, but as it turns out that's not the case at all (despite the DS on the cover)! There's some pretty interesting production going on here at times, though the songs themselves don't really stand out all that much.

I think he’s a better rapper than lyricist. I like the way he sounds more than what he says.

While I thought this got off to a slow start and was upset that he didn't give me a shoutout on the insanely long last track where he gave props to half the country I found the middle of the album to be excellent. I loved his lyrical story telling, while I don't think he is quite as technically or lyrically gifted as Nas or Kendrick Lamar he has a similar style.

Enjoyed this, but largely faded into the background during my listen - not a bad thing, but nothing really pulling me back here. Some outstanding tracks though.

pretty good, nice

This album cover is so funny to me. It made me expect this album to be super corny. Luckily, it wasn’t actually that corny at all. The beats were catchy, and there was some pretty good lyricism. I did feel like it overstayed its welcome though. The cover is so funny man.

Intro - 2/5 Real - 3/5 Just Might Be OK - 3/5 Kick, Push - 5/5 I Gotcha - 4/5 The Instrumental - 5/5 He Say She Say - 5/5 Sunshine - 4/5 Daydreamin' - 5/5 The Cool - 3/5 Hurt Me Soul - 3/5 Pressure - 4/5 American Terrorist - 4/5 The Emperor's Soundtrack - 3/5 Kick, Push II - 4/5 Outro - 1/5 Average score: 3.6/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ this generator is really pushing conscious hip-hop my way, damn i know of Lupe Fiasco, but never really bothered to look into his music over the years. since hip-hop is sort of a hit-or-miss genre for me in general, and 2010s hip-hop in particular is... unique, i was ready to write this off as mediocre at best honestly, for an album coming out of thay era, it's actually not as bad as i thought it'd be. Lupe's a pretty eloquent lyricist. i think the huge cast of producers behind him only amplified his performance and helped showcase his talents (even if the synth-heavy production for some tracks are slightly dated) that being said, the outro is like, unacceptably long. it's essentially a pretty a 12 minute shout-out. like, this could've been an email my guy i think if they trimmed that outro off the tracklist all together (or at least made it waaaay shorter), this would've just made the cut to being a 4-star album in my book. oh well

Only really remember Kick, Push. Shiny, maximalist production. Pretty solid rhymes. Pretty politically conscious. Pretty good.

Alcune basi sono carine. Ma niente di più

I enjoyed this one, but it's also a bit forgettable.

Solid.

Daydreamin’ and kick push are good… honestly his album “Lasers” is much better than this one

I really enjoyed this and loved the political lyrics!

Great example of a 3*. I enjoyed it, but nothing got me overly excited to hear again

pretty good, probably one of the longer outro songs I've come across though.

Not my jam, but was good for the jam it is. I can see why he was on Kanye album, seems consistent with his sound.

Better than anticipated.

Iha kiva.

Meh

Interesting. But not really that much so.

Dit wordt online vergeleken met grootheden in de hiphop en ik moet bekennen dat ik daar weinig van snap. Ja, Lupe heeft prima flows en de productie hier is sterk, maar het klinkt ook heel... commercieel ofzo? Daarnaast is dit echt giga bloated, begin ff wat filler te snoeien voor je op release klikt lmao.

Really good rap album. Fun and accessible, with great beats that sample myriad of different sources (my favorites are when they sample big orchestral arrangements). Catchy sung hooks and overall good vibes. That last song didn't need to be so long though. Key tracks: Kick, Push The Instrumental Daydreamin'

This was much better than I expected. I know I heard several songs off of this album back when it came out but "Kick, Push" is the one that really made an impression. Lupe's vocal delivery isn't great but the beats are very good, if a little dated.

In a word: smooth. Couple of different genres swirling about.

Commercial and easy listening.

It takes a bit of time for Food & Liquor to get started but once the mission statement Kick, Push begins things are in full flow. He is a talented rapper and the production is plush, expansive and radio ready in an enjoyable way. The album’s momentum peaks in the middle but then drops off a cliff with the overlong credits / thank you track. I wish I could pretend this track didn’t exist as the album is already a tad long without it and for me it brings the whole project’s score down. The biggest indulgence of the CD era?

not bad. "daydreamin'" is a jam. like the jay-z tune. horrible album cover. and where's the bass in the mix?

bello, probabilmente l'album di hip hop che mi è piaciuto di più (anche se sono ignorante in materia)

sounds ahead of its time

Pretty good albeit a tad self indulgent. His style is different than most which I can appreciate. Just tone down the ego a tad.

I couldn't listen to this properly because of my migraine, but it did sound like fairly pleasant early 00s rap fair to me. Like if Kanye hadn't gone wrong; a nice, solid early 00s rap. It does the job! And then apparently he went on to academia - good for him!! The world needs more thinkers ("where are all the thinkers?" - FKA Twigs).

First off, the most 2006 album cover of all time! This is really ambitious hip hop and kudos for the amount of big ideas going on, the production values are really slick in a 2006 way, the flow is perfect. And yet it's just lacking that bit of weirdness and edge that I really enjoy in hip hop. A classic example of an objectively good album that just ain't for me, sorry Lupe! Like, say what you want about Kanye, but in this era he would take an album this slick and just push it into a much weirder and stranger space that would be way more engaging to listen to ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I didn't hate this as much as I'd expected. Quite enjoyed the general vibe of the music, and the vocal didn't draw too much attention away from it. Usual complaints about the self-aggrandising rubbish in the lyrics. Why the hell does this need a 12 minute outro of "shout outs"? It's like the credits at the end of a movie - the bit where everyone stands up and walks out before they finish scrolling. There wasn't even a post credits bonus scene.

This album was good. The outro is the only track I didn't listen to as it got a little long. I don't jive with most hip hop but I didn't hate this.

not bad

I guess don't judge a book by it's cover cause this is pretty solid, enjoyable so far, I can see 3 stars easily here

Better than I was expecting.

I want to give this 3 1/2 stars. Great lyrics without false bravado. If I were to put this in heavy rotation, I think I would end up loving it more.

The daily ritual I'm trying to get into with this is: Listen to a few songs of the day's album while I'm getting ready in the morning, and then ask myself, "Am I taking this with me, or do I want to listen to something else?" In other words, will I continue listening in the car on the way to work, or no? Those albums that make the car are 4's and 5's. This album really had me going back and forth with this decision. From, "Oh yeah, I'm bumping this!" to, "Ehh, maybe not." Ultimately, it did not make the car. Worth noting, however, making the car on a Friday is a little more difficult, as I'm generally in the mood for something familiar I can sing along to.

I listened to this when it came out since he’s a Chicago guy and the album was well reviewed. Kick, Push is super great but doesn’t really have anything close to an equal.

Better than I expected, I never really dug into Lupe’s discography. High 3

This album got a little better for me with each listen. Can't say I'm too impressed with the singer's voice, singing style but the it had a nice grooving vibe to it. Thought the first half was pretty generic and got a little better in the 2nd. I'm really most impressed with the guest singers. Jill Scott in Daydreamer was very good along with Matthew Santos in American Terrorist were a couple of my favorites. Favorite tune was Pressure, but also enjoyed Hurt Me So, The Emperors Soundtrack, Daydreamer and American Terrorist. Funny thing about American Terrorist, under the pedo regime, we have become the enemy of the rest of the world. US gov't are the terrorist. F em all. Album was OK. It had it's good moments and some pretty decent tunes. 3

01) Intro - 5,5 02) Real - 7,0 03) Just Might Be OK - 7,0 04) Kick, Push - 8,0 05) I Gotcha - 7,5 06) The Instrumental - 7,5 07) He Say She Say - 7,5 08) Sunshine - 7,5 09) Daydreamin' - 9,0 10) The Cool - 7,0 11) Hurt Me Soul - 7,5 12) Pressure - 7,0 13) American Terrorist - 7,5 14) The Emperor's Soundtrack - 7,0 15) Kick, Push II - 7,0 16) Outro - 5,5 TOTAL: 7,19 (72/100) Current ranking: 422/813

Quando vi a capa do álbum pensei que ia ser horrível, mas não. Acaba por ser um bom 3/5, ouve-se super bem, boa produção e bons feats. Mais de 1h10 mas não se torna aborrecido.

Celkom ma album prekvapilo použitím rôznych štýlov v podmazoch. Na rapový album u mňa skvelo. Ale asi to už nebudem počúvať.

I actually enjoyed this album more than I thought I would!

Lupe, why do you have to be a controversial individual. This was actually pretty good and I loved that part of the reason he strayed away from hip hop was because of the misogyny and vulgarity. He was trying to make a statement and work towards change, appreciating the life he grew up with but not glamorizing it and tearing others down. But then life happened... Overall this was pretty good and it made me dance, sing and think. I had a chance to discuss the points he was making and evoke others to think. Real, Just Might be Ok, Instrumental and American Tourist were all good. Kick, Push was such an awesome little love song and so catchy. The Outro didn't really seem necessary, seemed like the Grammy speech he knew they would cut short. This was good and made me want to listen to him more.

Vibeee

An album worth listening to if you like hiphop/rap

3.4 Reminds me of Tyler the creator. I like it.

The production is just sonically overwhelming for me at times. I'm guessing this would be closer to 5 stars if it was just stripped down to Lupe Fiasco and an acoustic guitar. Having said that, it's still pretty good! You can definitely hear the Kanye influence. Liked Songs Added: Sunshine Daydreamin'

Inoffensive, not bad, but also not for me.

I liked some of this but it didn’t really get me goin

I like the album and I like Lupe Fiasco but to me he is not influential so I guess I am failing to see why he is on this list. Overall its an 'ok' album. I can definitely think of better rappers that should be on this list over him. Fun fact...Mike knows the artist who designed this album cover.

Bien pero me falto un poco mas de cambios en la melodía para que no se vuelva tan repetitivo todo el tiempo a mi gusto

Better than I expected. Actually one of the few rap albums that I really enjoyed. Not baroque but a bit complex with different kind of sampling etc. Lyrics sounded lame but I was not paying attention. He said a lot of times "Lupe Fiasco" in the rap fashion, which is funny for me for me. Too long, though.

I see why this album is well regarded. Not my preferred kind of music, but it was enjoyable.

Was pretty good only previously knowing a song or two of his, outro woof, might need to give him more time rating could go up

Was very suprised when I saw this album pop up in the list. Not undeserving though. Very good album that has aged quite nicely. It's a bit overly long (especially the outro) and I don't enjoy every track, but overall a very enjoyable album. Album was a breath of fresh air when it was released and it still sounds good today. Overall a 3.5/5.

Høydepunktet på plata er «Daydreamin’». Ellers er det meste nesten-bra. Helt ålreit. Det høres litt ut som Fiasco har arvet samples Kanye West har hatt i boden

Probably my favorite Chicago rapper? I like the skateboarding feel on some of the tracks.

Very listenable for 2000's hip-hop. Lyric/vocal-centric which is nice in an era that often feels more about the producers. That being said the production is decent too, nothing flashy, but solid. This could be something that grows on me with more listens, but for now feels a little middle of the road.

pretty cool record, is this what kanye sounds like? some nice songs, but the rest kinda feels like standard rap. not enough substance for me 🫤. favourite track was “real”

I guess the production is solid, raps are nice, so let's give it a 3, so I don't need to listen to more rap

Not bad and some parts I really liked but overall it kind of all sounded the same.

neutral Will I listen to again: 10%

This was weirdly cool and interesting.

I didn't mind this, as someone who's not into American hip-hop at all, I didn't find him nearly as vulgar & obnoxious as other artists. I have fond memories of Kick, Push from back in its day of high rotation on Triple J. However he loses points for Outro. It gave me flashbacks to Christina Aguilera's "Thank You (Dedication To Fans)" which is one of the stupidest, most narcissistic tracks I've heard throughout this project. Outro was just as dumb and unnecessary.

This album grew on me as I listened. Not quite a 4, but very close.

137/1089 a decent hip hop record, i enjoyed listening to it, quite low key for the most part, it could’ve used a couple more stand out moments for me personally but it’s an easy listen that i could see myself coming back to occasionally faves: Kick, Push, Daydreamin’, Pressure, Hurt Me Soul, He Say She Say 65/100

It sounds very of its time, I guess?

Its decent

I enjoyed that a lot more than I thought I would.

Some hits and some dogs. Pretty darn average, right?

Kanye West got some ideas from here

Some classic tracks in here. Its a good change up from the typical hip-hop sound in this era, in the early Kanye-style. That said, there are some big misses on this album. An alright listen.

Not really my bag but I got on with it well enough, would I listen to it again? Unlikely

V/Rv

It's alright but 2 notes: In 'Kick Push' he mentions he is 'married to aerials and varials' while the rest of the song implies mostly a street skating context. Some people shorten 'varial kickflip' to 'varial' but Lupe ALSO mentioned aerials. The original 'varial' was a front side air that was early grabbed roastbeef and then the board was turned 180 by the grabbing hand. Because Lupe Fiasco mentioned 'aerials' prior I like to think he was skating vert or doing OG vert tricks in the street. Then also, seriously a 12 minute outro that's just all the shoutouts? In some ways I respect that he makes sure everyone is included but like have more stuff going on musically it just loops over and over.

A breath of fresh air compared to other early 00s hip hop I've been served up here. Kick Push had my head nodding. WTF is up with Outro. C'mon! It takes a feeling of "yeah. I'd put this on again"to hit 4 stars. It's good, but it didn't push that button.

Not bad considering I didn't know what to expect.

Good album. 3/5 stars. Reminds me of when I used to listen to Push/Kick when I was younger.

Good beats but uninspiring rapping

Fun.

Not bad, pretty fun.

solid hip hop, definitely has that late 2000s Chicago rap scene sound. reminded me of the old Kanye. bars were pretty solid

Push, Kick was a throw back to working in GAME 20 years ago, still holds up. The rest probably better suits a summers day than a cold autumn morning. Does get a bit samey towards the end with sprinkles of interesting production now and then. Maybe 20 minutes too long with filler. 2.5 but rounded up to 3

Didn't annoy me much in the background.

I enjoyed the Kanye-esque, sample heavy style, but this is also hurt by the overall length in my opinion (long outro track doesn’t help).. hard time rating this one.. 2.5/5

It was ok

Was a fun listen, not my usual genre so it's nice to discover new things.

Interesting, but not really my cup of musical tea

it’s your stereotypical 2000s hip-hop album, but with a shitty 12 outro where he thanks everyone except my pediatrician

Me gusta más The Cool, que vendría un año más tarde, pero éste también me gusta.

such a good rap album, 3.5

Good

Most thankful rapper I've ever heard. 3/5

Pretty good I was sceptical but was a sweet vibe

Never got around Lupe, but did get around Kanye which they're of the same ilk. Might have got into Lupe back in those days but this was an ok listen. All sounds kinda samey, so many over produced horns in this era of hip hop. Easily half an hour too long

I used to listen to this daily in the spring of 2008. Excellent writing. But once I noticed that the end of each bar, he would inhale loudly, I stopped listening. And I can’t unhear it now!

This is fine but kind of a strange selection from what was an extremely prolific era of rap music.

Nah, not for me

Some classics on here. Need to listen deeper and maybe I’ll re-review this one!

Feels too of its time for me to appreciate

Not an album I expected to see at all, but very pleasantly surprised. Definitely not even a top 10 rapper for me but there are a lot of bangers hidden away here like ‘Pressure,’ and the production as a whole is top notch.

I really think if your album is over 45 minutes you need to earn every single minute of that extra time and sadly, this did not

Big sample-driven sound I can't always really get into hip-hop, I would not choose to listen to it, but I like it enough when it's on

Fun, but I didn't love it.

I love a good mid 2000s rap album… except for them all being about 25 minutes too long. Not bad at all though production and rhymes were a one and he is also a good singer. 3.5

The entire 12 minute outro I thought it was gonna end with a real song. Genius. This rocked the beats were pretty nuts. Really enjoyed.

𝘍𝘰𝘰𝘥 & 𝘓𝘪𝘲𝘶𝘰𝘳 is a solid hip hop record, but nothing particularly groundbreaking. While Lupe Fiasco shows skill as a lyricist and storyteller, it’s hard to imagine this album having the revolutionary impact on hip hop that some claim. The 12-minute outro, basically a long thank-you list put to a beat, feels unnecessary and drags down the experience. There are some strong tracks here, but overall it feels more like a competent debut than a classic. In the end, it’s good, just not essential.

Shout out to all the internet sites

Ved ikke om jeg ville kalde den essentiel, men han er sgu en god rapper, og der sker en del i de her beats af en 2006 plade at være! Shout out to my big homie

There were some pretty good moments, but the rest was a little forgettable. Kick Push and Pressure were both solid, but I kinda dipped out of the outro like 3 minutes in.

Ehhhh it was alright!